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| GOP, Dems drawing up a truce on NSA program |
| 2006-02-12 |
| After mounting a lackluster effort recently to oppose now Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee looked to have their mojo back early last week when they peppered imperturbable Attorney General Alberto Gonzales about the legality of the administration's warrantless domestic spying program. But by week's end, their spirited attack on the formerly secret effort that authorizes the National Security Agency to intercept international phone calls and E-mails originating in the United States already seemed a distant memory. Even a top Democratic Senate staffer acknowledged that the party isn't looking for a political win on the issue--a wash, he said, will do. What happened? Simply put, the White House used its bully pulpit to turn a complicated legal issue into an us-against-them, war on terrorism issue. Vice President Dick Cheney was confident enough to encourage candidates to tout the surveillance program as an example of the GOP's stand on battling terrorists. His comments came a day after President Bush announced new details about an unrealized 2002 al Qaeda plot to fly a hijacked plane into a Los Angeles skyscraper, though he provided no evidence that the NSA program helped avert the attack. Newly conscious of their soft-on-terrorism troubles with voters, the Democrats got the point. But the president made his own concessions by reversing field and allowing Gonzales and Gen. Michael Hayden, deputy director of national intelligence and former NSA director, to privately brief the Senate and House intelligence committees. Reaction was mixed on the briefings' value, but the new cooperation and a brokered agreement last week to reauthorize with minor changes the Patriot Act's more controversial surveillance provisions--averting a Democratic filibuster like the one that stalled renewal in December--ended Bush's week on an up note on this issue. Though the NSA issue may be a political nonstarter for Democrats (polling finds consistent public support for antiterrorism surveillance), it certainly is not dead. Lawmakers from both parties, alarmed at the administration's efforts to consolidate executive power, have called for oversight of the operation. Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, Judiciary Committee chair, is writing a bill that would allow an existing secret court to review every 45 days the surveillance conducted under the program and plans at least two more hearings on its legality. The drumbeat for accountability continues, just more quietly and with a bipartisan tone. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #14 We know that the Dems were briefed. We know that the FISA law doesn't apply. We know that every president has ignored FISA when they deemed it necessary. CW2 comes closer. While the analogy won't stretch very far, in some ways, GWB is in a similar position to Roosevelt in 1938. He knew that the Facists were an existential treat, but the country wasn't ready to follow him there. GWB has not been able to convince a significant part of the public. It is unfortunate that many of the unconvinced would not be convinced by a nuclear detonation in Manhattan. I hope that the next next mass casualty attack in the USA will awaken more of the nation. At that time, we will also have to clean our own house of fifth columnists and seditionists. |
| Posted by: SR-71 2006-02-12 18:45 |
| #13 I agree with .com. These traitors did this with full knowledge that it would hurt our WOT efforts. The fact that they did this TO SCORE A FEW POLITICAL POINTS no matter how many americans died is an out-and-out act of treason. Truce be damn. When someone breaks into your house and threatens your family you dont call a 'truce' or say 'ok... well just kill the youngest one and I'll keep the older kid ok?'. You nutrealize them either by getting them to give up their plans (by fleeing or surrendering) or you disable them or (yes) kill them. You definately don't tell them the code to disable the alarm system like the Donks and NYT just did... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-02-12 17:46 |
| #12 What do you want me to say? They were briefed, they knew the entire "issue" was bogus, they are disingenuous assholes - and their enablers in the MSM are, also, lying whores. Why give them any ground, any harbor, any excuse for what is a fabrication of lies, half-truths, and partisan political bullshit? It's easy to forget where you are... and think that Joe Average knows what we know - or is exposed to it, at least. Not True. The penetration of the Internet is a small subset of the US population. The number who are "into" blogs where the truth gets regular play is even smaller. Most Americans still get their info from the MSM... and only the MSM. That's a good reason why, is it not? No quarter for lies, spin, bullshit. My take. |
| Posted by: .com 2006-02-12 16:22 |
| #11 The Whitehouse is doing a shitty job. The Whitehouse has yet to convince teh majority of the population we are in a war and need to act that way in many parts of our lives. The Dems and MSM are spinning the real defeat of their broken ideas here. 95% of the population doesn't even realize we are in a war let alone act as if we are and they still manage to lose? |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2006-02-12 16:20 |
| #10 "What happened? Simply put, the White House used its bully pulpit to turn a complicated legal issue into an us-against-them, war on terrorism issue." My point is, spin or not, what's wrong with that? |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-02-12 16:13 |
| #9 SPo'D - You said used non-sequential $20's would be okay, right? ;-) |
| Posted by: .com 2006-02-12 16:08 |
| #8 .com is right. If I wasn't simi-literate I could put it into written language properly. You don't "chill" when you are at war. People who want to win this (not all are on the right you know) should go for the throat and fight to win. It's not about "politics" it's about survival of our way of living and our real rights andf freedom. These folks should be held responsible for their actions. These people are fighting against winning by going out for political gain. They are aiding our foes and hurting our cause. You need not "chill" is you are not being rash or irresponsible. .com isn't. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2006-02-12 16:05 |
| #7 Chill? LOL. |
| Posted by: .com 2006-02-12 12:30 |
| #6 See Catuah allowed wiretaps above. I expect that might have slowed down these piss-dripping, no-account, gravy-trainers. |
| Posted by: Lester M 2006-02-12 12:24 |
| #5 Chill, .com. The more they do this, the more they cede the 2006 and 2008 elections. Works for me. Just spread the word that Carter and Clinton did it too, only they lost Iran and the the Iranian embassy, negotiated while Kimmie built nukes, and allowed OBL to send a second wave of WTC attack. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-02-12 11:38 |
| #4 "What happened? Simply put, the White House used its bully pulpit to turn a complicated legal issue into an us-against-them, war on terrorism issue." Bullshit. Total spin. Kiss my ass, Liz Halloran / US News Editors. What happened is the Dhimmidonks, once again, tried to create another political shitfest - when they knew it was constitutional, had done it themselves (Clinton & Carter), and counted on the meme winning the day - screw the facts. And once again, it's blowing up in their faces. The Dhimmidonks are the political equivalent of the Paleo / jihadi red-wire / green-wire morons. They've had and amazing number of BS blockbusters blow up in their faces over the last 5 years. Truce my ass, prosecution, baby. Round 'em up, lock 'em up, or just shoot the ratbastards. And don't forget to include the MSM co-conspirators, either. Enuff, already. |
| Posted by: .com 2006-02-12 11:20 |
| #3 LOL! ChimpHitler wins again. He must be very very |
| Posted by: 6 2006-02-12 10:40 |
| #2 Shocking, absorutrey shocking, another "non-start for democrats." |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-02-12 08:50 |
| #1 Even a top Democratic Senate staffer acknowledged that the party isn't looking for a political win on the issue--a wash, he said, will do. Don't let them get away with it. Keep hammer them with their own words. Show them to be the party of surrender, the party that puts political positioning above national security, the party that buries it own record of doing exactly the same thing they accuse others of. Do not let them get a chance the reform for another assault. Press them, run them to the ground. Its Hammering Time [tm]. |
| Posted by: Ebbaimp Pheper3780 2006-02-12 08:48 |